Susan Sarandon Says Political Views Still Cost Her Movie Roles

VENICE, Italy — Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon says her outspoken political views continue to affect her career, even as public attitudes around the Israel-Palestine conflict have shifted.

Speaking at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 6, the 79-year-old actress was asked whether the entertainment industry had changed since her pro-Palestinian comments in 2023.

“I think that the narrative has completely changed,” Sarandon said, adding that “a lot of things that people” were previously unaware of are now better understood.

But she said that change has not fully reached Hollywood’s power structure.

“I’ve still had movies taken away recently, because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” Sarandon said. “But that’s the power structure.”

Sarandon said she feels more welcome internationally than she does within major Hollywood studios. Her latest movie, The Echo Chamber, is an Italian production directed by Andrea Pallaoro and is premiering at the Venice Film Festival.

She credited Pallaoro with choosing to work with her despite warnings from others.

“I thank Andrea for that, because he didn’t listen to the warnings,” she said.

Sarandon also said she believes the public conversation has changed significantly, but that some people in the entertainment industry continue to hold strong views about her political statements.

“There are still very strongly held positions within my industry held by Zionists and [those] who have not relaxed their feelings towards me,” she said.

Despite the difficulties, Sarandon said she has found a supportive community.

“But I found my family, I found my people, and I’m okay,” she said.

Her remarks were met with applause from people attending the festival conference.

Controversy in 2023

Sarandon faced a major backlash in late 2023 after comments she made at a rally in New York City following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

At the rally, she said American Jews were “getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.” She later apologized for the wording, saying it was a “terrible mistake.”

Sarandon said her comment wrongly suggested that Jews had only recently experienced persecution, “when the opposite is true.”

At the time, she also reaffirmed her commitment to peace, justice and humanitarian values, and called for dialogue between people who disagree.

PEOPLE confirmed in November 2023 that Sarandon had been dropped by her talent agency, United Talent Agency, following the controversy.

Nearly three years later, Sarandon says the industry has changed in some ways, but she believes the impact of her political views on her career is still being felt.

The Echo Chamber premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 6, with an Italian theatrical release scheduled for Sept. 10.